Cars (An Independent in 2000)
In the world of An Independent in 2000, many iconic cars of OTL were never put into production; most notably the SUV completely died out in masse in 2003. This is largely due to the US increase on CAFE standards, but is also due to a cultural shift that was embodied by the Edwards presidency. Cars became smaller, and where power was sacrificed, performance and handling took their place. So much so, that American cars are no longer made fun of in Europe for being very good at going very fast in a straight line and nothing else. Cars also became much cheaper when the asteroid was captured, energizing the luxury car and improving the performance of sports cars. Ford MC Ford *2005 Ford Mustang: The 2005 Mustang was a testament to the Muscle car's refusal to die, but demonstrated a willingness to adapt. It came standard with a 4.9 L V8, but had an optional 5.4 L. It was much lighter than previous Mustangs, but maintained the stalky pony car look of the first generation mustang. It took corners tighter than a BMW, and powered through the straights like the muscle car it was. It achieved a 27 mpg average. *2006 Ford Model i: Ford's first attempt at an inexpensive roadster to combat the Scion's of the world, the Ford Model i featured a simple electric drivetrain and was marketed towards younger drivers as a slick retro-hotrod. Oddly enough, the car fared very well with baby boomers seeking a taste of the hot rods they could not afford. *2004 Ford Forty-Nine: Ford's small sedan hybrid was their answer to the Chevy Bel Air. Featuring the neo-deco body style of modern cars, the Forty-Nine was not light on fuel economy. At 100 mpg it was the most fuel efficient Ford available at the time. *2008 Ford Inerceptor: With Cadillac stealing the show with the Sixteen and Escalade, Ford fired back with the Interceptor, big long and a testament to American Luxury the Interceptor quickly became one of the most iconic cars of the decade. Lincoln *2008 Lincoln MKR: The MKR was the tipping point for Lincoln's move back into the world of big American luxry cars. With a clean deisle series hybrid platform the MKR held the 45mpg standard while providing luxury and class. Ford MC Cars File:Ford_Interceptor.jpg| 2008 Ford Interceptor File:Ford_Forty_Nine.jpg| 2004 Ford Forty-Nine File:Lincoln_MKR.jpg|2008 Lincoln MKR GM Cadillac *2005 Cadillac Sixteen: Produced to replace the Escalade, the Cadillac Sixteen was the first of its kind in many ways. It was a 16 cylinder gasoline engine that only ran the full 16 during very high speeds, most of the time it ran at 4 cylinders, giving the Sixteen an fuel efficiency of 25 mpg. Which just barely met the CAFE standards when it was produced. Marketed as a genuine luxury car the Sixteen destroyed the cheap thrills of the Escalade, and projected an image of refinement an nostalgia. In Production of the Sixteen ended in 2009 when the CAFE standards moved to 45 mpg. *2009 Cadillac Escalade: A far cry from its earlier cousin, the 2009 Escalade was built to replace the Sixteen, which could not achieve the 45 mpg required in American CAFE standards. The Escalade was widely based on the Sixteen's body, but incorporated an plug-in-hybrid electric drive train. In many ways the Escalade continues the culture of unapologetic sophistication that the Sixteen started; a full 180 from its 2001 model. Chevrolet *2005 Corvette C6 and Z06: Built to make up for the loss of power from greater efficiency standards the C6 and Z06 Corvette became GMs first sports car to be tested in the Neuremburg Ring for performance and handling. Using a slightly smaller 5.4 Liter V8 engine, and utilizing a similar system to the Cadillac Sixteen's displacement system, the C6 also just barely made the 25 mpg mark. The Z06 however incorporated a 5.7 Liter V8, but was constructed entirely out of carbon fiber to keep the weight down. *2004 Chevy Bel Air: The Bel Air made its triumphant return as the symbol of the American family car in 2005, greatly surpassing the 25mpg CAFE standards as America's first plug in hybrid with 100 mpg. GM Cars File:Cadillac-sixteen.jpg| 2005 Cadillac Sixteen File:Bel_Air.jpg|2004 Chevy Bel Air Chrysler Group Dodge *2005 Dodge Dart: Dodge's first small car to achieve the 25 mpg cap, made 35 mpg, and was priced at a very cheap 18,000 USD brand new. *2008 Dodge Circuit: Dodge's all electric sports car. Chrysler *2005 Chrysler 300e: Based off of the 300C, the 300e was the first production Chrysler to incorporate a serial hybrid system and lithium ion batteries. *2008 Chrysler 200C: An electric luxury sedan, the 200C continues the Neo Deco styles. *2007 Chrysler Imperial: Chrysler's luxury hybrid. Category:An Independent in 2000 Category:Transportation